Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-09-02
ONE SURVIVED IT..
ThesParticulars of a Bloody
Tragedy in D Mining
Camp.
-Four Men Shot Down Like Dogs---
The Trouble Over a Claim.

"a WcStCEH CTliIlS OCCuErSu III Iuedu-
vile mining camp, near Good Hope, Rio
Arribo county. The particulars have
just reached this city through private
sources. The trouble originated about a
mine. There were five men in camp,
and but one of them is alive to tell the
story. The names of the victims are:
Albert A. Mead, late of Santa Fe; K.
Harvey Mead, Of Aledo, Ill; Joseph
Downing, OF Harrison county, Mo-, and
a stranger named p. II. Hands. The
hfth man in the party, Fred Mead, es,
capped with a slight wound In the head.
Albert A. Mead came west from Iowa
some years ago and located mining claims
near Good Hope, SOME twenty miles from
Trespiedras Station. on the Denver 81
Rio Grande railway. Fred and Harvey
Mead. Of Aledo, ILL.,, were kinsmen of his,
and from Santa Fe he opened with them
correspondence which resulted In tho or
ganization of the Las Tuces Milling and
Mining company, q corporation formed
under the laws of Illinois with q capital
stock of 500, 600. The incorporators Of
this company were Fred E. Mead, OF
Aledo, Ill, Frank Riedle, q Chicago man,
y f. Smith, OF Chicago, president Of a
street railway company, under agree
ment with Albert A. Mead, discoverer and
locator OF these mines, the company was
to erect u h.e stamp mill at Meadville,
and when the profits from the mines would
justify, they were TO put in five stamps
| more, and the proceeds were to be ex-
pended until twenty stamp mills were in
operation, at which time Albert Mead
WAS to receive a deed for q one-fourth in
terest in the entire property. II appears,
however, that Albert Mead became dis
satisfied after the first two years had
gone by and a ten-stamp mill was in op-
GRAFTON. He accused the company of
bad faith, ~extrayagant management and
desired to be installed as manager, sup
planting Fred Mead, under WHOM hi
worked as a laborer. The ompan de-
clined to appoint him a anage and
trouble began. He brought suit against
the company to regain possession, and
Fred Mead brought a counter suit to re-
cover $1,500 loaned by him to Albert.
The cases were TO be called at the ap-
preaching term of the district court
Pending this litigation Albert has been
employed in this city as q carpenter. His
conflict with the company appeared to
worry him, and to many acquaintance
he said he intended to get possession of
his mines again If had to kill every man
In the Las Cuces country,
49, III w NuOseuhy LdSb luE loIL SHnIa re
for Meadvilie camp for the purpose of SCI,
curing papers he had left in the com
pany's bunk house, and which were
needed In his suit, What followed is.told
by Fred Mead, the only surviving mem
hes OF the party at the camp. When Al
bert Mead first made known his presence.
Fred II Mr.. Hands were in T~respiedras.
They %returned,to the camp on Friday
Raorning, and when their team wax
within about ffty yards of the company's
cabin Albert stepped gu from behind
the brush, Winchester in hand and OF.
dered o halt. Albert then called Hands
and ordered him to call Harvey Mead
and Joe Downing out of the cabin, say
ing he desired them to keep put Of the
cabin until he (Albert) could search for
some papers and money which he had
concealed therein. About thiB time
Harvey Mead and Downing heard the
commotion and both came out Of the
cabin. As they appeared Albert fired
and Downing fell dead. A second
shot from his Winchester killed
Harvey Mead. Turning to-
ward the wagon Albert then
opened fire on the occupants thereof, his
third shot fatally wounding Hands. BY
this time Fred Mead had secured y six
shooter which Hands had and attempted
70 IRE NJ Albert A, Mead, butthe Weapon
snapped and could not be discharged.
Albert fred at Fred i've times In rapid
succession, and while he was thus en-
gagged Fred was running towards him.
Finally the two desperate men clinched
and a struggle ensued for the possession
of the weapon. AT last Fred Mead got
the Winchester from Albert and with. it
knocked him down and shot him through
the heart. Hands died four hours later.
Albert A. Mead's body was buried face
downward, and tic remains of the other
three were inferred at TrespiedEas. Tho
coroner's investigation resulted In the
acquittal OF Fred Mead.